This post was originally published in June of 2012, but has remained to be one of the top posts on the blog, attracting travelers looking to learn about a new city through the eyes of a local guide (and also get some good exercise).
All of these tours are given for free by knowledgeable local tour guides, and participants can tip or make a donation in whatever amount they think is appropriate. It’s a great way to get a taste of a city as the locals see it.
I myself have taken the “I’m Free” tours in Sydney and Melbourne and let me tell you how amazing and entertaining they were! My dad also posted about his budget Buenos Aires trip, where he took advantage of the BA Free Tour and had a fantastic experience.
Walking tours are a great way to keep your trips budget-friendly, meet other travelers, and take in as much as you can about the city you’re visiting (it’s also a fun way to spend a long airport layovers – I did the Singapore tour during a layover)
Below is the updated, most-current list of free walking tours around the globe:
Sorted by city name:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands – New Amsterdam Tours
- Athens, Greece – Athens Free Walking Tour
- Barcelona, Spain -Â Runner Bean Tours
- Barcelona, Spain -Â B Side Free Tour Barcelona
- Barcelona, Spain -Â Secret Gaudi Tour
- Bath, UK - The Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides
- Belgrade, Serbia -Â Belgrade Walking Tours
- Berlin, Germany -Â Alternative Berlin Tours
- Berlin, Germany – New Berlin Free Tours
- Brasov, Romania – Guided Brasov Free City Tour
- Bratislava, Slovakia -Â Be Free Tours
- Brussels, Belgium -Â Brussels Greeters
- Brussels, Belgium – New Brussels Free Tour
- Bucharest, Romania – Guided Bucharest
- Budapest, Hungary -Â Free Budapest Walking Tours
- Budapest, Hungary – Free Budapest Tours
- Buenos Aires, Argentina -Â BA Free Tour
- Constanta, Romania -Â Romania Free Tour
- Chicago, Illinois – Tours By Foot
- Copenhagen, Denmark -Â New Copenhagen Tours
- Cusco, Peru – Free Walking Tour Peru
- Dublin, Ireland – Pat Liddy’s Walking Tours
- Dublin, Ireland – New Dublin Tours
- Edinburgh, Scotland -Â New Edinburgh Tours
- Hamburg, Germany – New Hamburg Tours
- Jerusalem, Israel – New Jerusalem Tours
- Krakow, Poland – Free Walking Tour
- Lisbon, Portugal – Lisbon Free Tour
- Lisbon and Porto, Portugal – Pancho Tours
- Ljubljana, Slovenia - The Ljubljana Free Tour
- London, UK – New London Tours
- London, UK – Alternative London Free Tour
- Madrid, Spain – New Madrid Tours
- Melbourne, Australia – Melbourne Free Walking Tour
- Milan, Italy – New Milan Free Tour
- Munich, Germany -Â New Munich Free Tour
- New Orleans, United States -Â Free Walking Tours of New Orleans
- New Orleans, United States -Â Nola Tour Guy
- New York, United States -Â NY By Foot
- Paris, France – Culturefish! Tours
- Paris, France – Paris Greeters
- Paris, France – City Free Tour
- Paris, France – New Paris Tours
- Paris, France – Paris Walks
- Philadelphia, United States -Â Free Walking Tours of Philadelphia
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria – Free Plovdiv Tour
- Porto, Portugal -Â Porto Free Tour
- Prague, Czech Republic -Â Prague Extravaganza Free Tour
- Prague, Czech Republic – New Prague Free Tour
- Prague, Czech Republic – Royal Walk Free Tour
- Riga, Latvia – Yellow Free Tours
- Rome, Italy – New Rome Free Tour
- Rome, Italy -Â Rome Free Tour
- Rome, Italy – Rome Free Walking Tour
- Saint Petersburg, Russia -Â Saint Petersburg Free Tour
- Saint Petersburg, Russia: Feel Free Tour
- San Francisco, US -Â San Francisco City Guides
- Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile – Tours 4 Tips
- Santiago, Chile -Â Free Tour Santiago
- Santiago, Chile – Spicy Chile
- São Paulo, Brazil – SP Free Walking Tour
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina -Â Free Sarajevo Walking Tours
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo Insider Free Tour
- Sevilla, Malaga, and Cadiz Spain – Pancho Tours
- Sevilla, Spain -Â Sevilla Free Tour
- Sevilla, Spain – Sevilla Low Cost
- Sofia, Bulgaria – Free Sofia Tour
- Stockholm, Sweden – Free Tour Stockholm
- Sydney, Australia - I’m Free
- Tallinn, Estonia – Yellow Free Tours
- Tampere, Finland -Â Tampere Free Tour
- Tel Aviv, Israel – New Tel Aviv Tour
- Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Free Guide
- Toronto, Canada -Â Tour Guys
- Utrecht, Netherlands -Â Utrecht Free Tours
- Vancouver, Canada -Â Tour Guys
- Varna, Bulgaria – Free Varna Walking Tour
- Vilnius, Lithuania – Yellow Free Tours
- Warsaw, Poland -Â Free Tours in Warsaw
- Washington, US -Â DC By Foot
- Zurich, Switzerland – Zurich Free Walking Tours
Nice one. Gist of FREE stuff is always awesome.
San Francisco City Guides is a good program. I have attended the tour of the Starwood Luxury Collection Palace Hotel a couple of times.
Chicago also offers city tours. I attended an architecture tour there in 2010 where a retired teacher took three of us from downtown TheLoop around the city for about five hours. The city even coverd the CTA tickets for the day.
Awesome post! Wish I had it before we went to Istanbul last summer.
Tried the top rated Tripadvisor free walking tour there and the guide no-showed. You may not have missed a thing.
I had a lovely experience with Paris Greeters, a volunteer organization that will customize a walking tour around your needs. Like most, a donation is appreciated.
Thanks Angelina! I’ve done the Belgrade, Ljubljana, Porto, Sevilla, and Tallinn tours and would highly recommend all of them. The guides were great on all of them. The Belgrade, Ljubljana, and Tallinn tours all continued at least 30-45 minutes past the 2 hour blocked time.
I can only speak for the Sandeman tours (New Amsterdam, New Berlin, New Prague, etc.) and they’re great. I’ve been on them in several cities throughout Europe.
This is awesome Angelina, thanks! My girlfriend and I are visiting Peru later this year and this seems like just out kind of thing.
@Ric.Agree on SF tour.My wife and I had a great time.Highly recommend.
Great post! I’m a San Francisco City Guide, one of around 250, and have led the Gold Rush City tour on certain Sundays for 17 years.
@Ric, all the Chicago tours I know of cost $, including Chicago Neighborhood Tours and the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s long-running series. They’re worth it though.
Don’t forget to tip
I also do free walking tours of New Orleans. Check out my webpage…nolatourguy.com I also blog about New Orleans history and I’m well rated on trip advisor. Thanks!
Sorry to see no Sundays…just went to book the 26th. Are you open to suggesting a competitor (inferior, no doubt) that does free walking tours on Sundays?
Hi Jake
My Free Oxford Walking tours don’t run in the winter. I’ll start them again in March 2018.
I’m happy to recommend Footprints Walking Tours. They start on Broad Street and are (nearly) as good as me!
I hope you enjoy your time in Oxford.
Lisa, I believe you’re confused. This was attached to david of New Orleans, where I will be in late November. I appreciate your offer of help, but I’ll be on the wrong continent unless I’m the confused one here…
Hello!
The information above about Sao Paulo, Brazil is wrong!
The official free walking tour in Sao Paulo is called SP Free Walking Tour!
http://www.spfreewalkingtour.com
Tks! =)
We will be very happy if you add to this list our Feel Free Tour (http://www.feelfreetour.net/) – St. Petersburg daily free walking tours in English
Hello,
there is also a free walking tour in Zurich.
http://www.freewalkzurich.ch
Absolutely worth to be visited!
Miguel
You can include also Constanta – Romania with a Free Tour – https://www.facebook.com/ConstantaFreeTour
Hi there – Barcelona has another free tour, it is a secret tour about Gaudi.
Here is the Website: http://www.secret-gaudi-tour.com
Is really nice :)
We are offering Free Walking tours in Zurich!
Hey there,
Can you add Tours4tips.com for our free tours in Santiago, Chile and also in Valparaiso, Chile?
Thanks!
Wally
You should add WEGO Walking for Paris. We went on it with Paul and it was fantastic! Its now up to #1 on Tripadvisor and I heartily recommend it.
http://www.wegowalking.com/
I wasn’t a reader in 2012 so I am grateful for the reprise.
Can you or the commenters suggest what is an appropriate tip? I expect tipping for a one hour tour will be less than a five hour one, but if there a rule of thumb? Thanks.
I’ve used the “New Europe” walking tours in several cities. They are fantastic and worth every penny (even with the generous tips!). Great post… Now where should I be headed next; that is, after our Vegas trip ;-) Haha.
Hi,
My name is Rodrigo and together with some friends we are running the Malmö FWT – Free Walking Tour.
So we would be really thankful if you could add our tour on your list. The website is http://malmofreewalkingtour.com/
Please let me know if you need any other information.
Best regards,
Rodrigo
Free Walking Tour in São Paulo/Brasil in spanish > PASEOS A PIE
https://www.facebook.com/paseosapie
So glad to have found this blog post of yours!!! Didn’t know that there were actually free tours outside europe! Thanks a lot <3
http://whereisjillyace.com/
Thanks for the information…
Free walking tour in AVEIRO – Portugal: http://www.aveirofreewalkingtour.com/
Loved the tour in Buenos Aires!
Free Walking Tour of Oxford, England http://www.wanderoxford.co.uk
Hi Dear Angelina Aucello, My name is Elvis, I am the owner of Free Tours by Foot Cusco (Cusco city – Peru), I would llike to appear on your platform of the most famous walking tours worldwide.
Below I send you more info about my company.
Name of company: Free Tours by Foot Cusco
Country: Peru
City: Cusco
Tripadvisor: Free Tours by Foot Cusco (754 reviews-5 stars-only 3 bads)
Facebook Fun Page: Free Tours by Foot Cusco (106 reviews)
If there is something else that I need to do before appearing on your platform, please let me know, I am willing to cooperate.
Regards
Elvis Peralta
Cusco, Peru
Hi there,
There is a city missing there: Aveiro – Portugal
http://www.aveirofrewalkingtour.com
We invite you all to come and visit us :-)
Looking forward to meeting you
My last had the wrong site, could you delet it please and add this site:
http://www.aveirofreewalkingtour.com
Hi Angelina, maybe adding free walking tours in South America would be awesome :)
Please also consider this great walking tour in Bogota : http://heroestourbogota.com
Would you please be so kind to add our website: https://www.freetourrome.com
We offer 5 different free walking tours in Rome everyday, in English and in Spanish
Thank you again for the list. I would like to add the Colosseum Free Tours (Rome – Italy) with the new website: http://www.colosseumfreetours.com . Every first sunday of the month the Colosseum is free of admission and a Colosseum Free Tour is always organized that day. It is also possible to book for FREE through Eventbrite: Colosseum Free Tour. Thank you very much.
Thanks Angelina for this great listing . Please consider in Bogota,Heroes Tour, an anti-clichés walking tour:
http:// heroestourbogota.com
Also, you missed Barcelona bike tours, I think that’s can be useful information for the travellers.
Thank you for the interesting listing. I wonder if you can add this free tour;
The best free walking tour in Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech WITH Locals
https://marrakechwithlocals.com/
here is The best Free Tour in Marrakech city in Morocco: Marrakech WITH Locals
https://marrakechwithlocals.com/
The Marrakech Walking Tour is considered to be one of the best walking tours that are offered in Marrakech. You probably already know that Marrakech is well-known for its souks and the work of its local artisans, but do you know where this reputation came from and what the stories behind it are? Or, how does it influence the routine activities of the people who live there? A gastronomic and cultural extravaganza awaits you on this tailor-made Marrakech city tour!
https://bucketlist.ma/to_book/walking-tour-of-marrakech/